Bulb-type syringe



Nov. 2, 1965 F. s. BUONO BULB-TYPE SYRINGE' Filed March 29, 1965 INVENTOR.

Fin/v 6'. Baa/v0 FIGJ United States Patent C) 3,215,142 BULB-TYPE SYRlNGE Frank S. Buono, Garfield, N.J., assiguor to Becton Dickinson and Company, East Rutherford, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 268,944 1 Claim. (Cl. 128232) This invention pertains to a bulb-type syringe and more particularly to a disposable bulb-type catheter tip syringe.

Bulb-type syringes are well known and are used for many purposes. Thus a bulb-type catheter tip syringe is frequently used for removing liquids, as in cleaning up during and after an operation. It is also useful for irrigation of the bladder through a urethral catheter, irrigation of the stomach through a stomach tube and for irrigation of a dressing. Also, bulb-type syringes fitted either with needles or catheter tips are used where it is desired to limit the suction to a predetermined amount.

The bulb-type syringes heretofore available have been relatively expensive. Therefore, because of the economics involved it has been necessary to sterilize the syringes and re-use them. This of course presents a number of problems and disadvantages. Thus, it is essential that the syringes be completely sterile and, this requires relatively costly and time consuming sterilization procedures. In addition, many of the syringes are broken while being handled during sterilization.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties and disadvantages heretofore encountered and to provide an improved bulb-type syringe, particularly a bulb-type syringe having a catheter tip which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which accordingly can be disposed of after its initial use.

A further object is the provision of a bulb-type syringe having a syringe barrel and bulb of improved construction so that both parts are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble together and which may be used in the same manner as the currently available bulb-type syringes and thereafter disposed of without the necessity for sterilization and re-use.

My invention contemplates the provision of a syringe barrel molded in one piece of plastic material and formed at one end with an enlarged bulb-coupling section, formed with an outwardly projecting abutment flange and an exterior shoulder to which is coupled a resilient bulb having a cylindrical portion open at one end and closed at its opposite end by a spherical portion.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a syringe barrel and bulb in disassembled relationship, showing the bulb partially in section;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the syringe barrel and bulb in coupled relationship;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the syringe barrel and bulb in the direction of the arrows on the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

My improved bulb-type syringe comprises generally a syringe barrel and a bulb 12, both of improved construction so that they are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to couple together.

Thus the syringe barrel 10 is preferably formed in one piece as by injection molding from suitable plastic ma terial which is inert and impervious to the materials to which the syringe is subjected. For this purpose I prefer to employ polypropylene. However I may employ other polyolefins such as polyethylene and I may also employ materials such as polystyrene.

3,215,142 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 The syringe barrel is formed with a tubular cylindrical body portion 14 formed at one end with an opening through which the liquid may be drawn into or dispensed from the syringe. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing the syringe barrel is provided with a catheter tip 15 integrally connected with the body of the barrel.

The opposite end of the syringe barrel is formed with an enlarged bulb coupling section 16 concentric with the body of the barrel and connected thereto by a tapered wall section 17.

Projecting outwardly from the bulb coupling section adjacent the tapered wall section is the abutment flange 18 against which the end of the bulb is adapted to abut when the two parts are assembled together.

The coupling section is formed with an exterior surface having a diameter slightly greater than the interior diameter of the portion of the bulb which is coupled thereto. In order to retain the bulb and syringe barrel in coupled relationship and to prevent accidental displacement when pressure is applied to the bulb I preferably provide the exterior surface of the coupling section with one or more circumferential retaining ribs 19. The retaining ribs are provided with a tapered cam like surface facing towards the outer end of the coupling member and over which the interior surface of the bulb may readily slide when coupling the parts together. The ribs are also provided with sharp retaining shoulders facing toward the abutment flange 18 and which form an interference fit with the interior surface of the bulb and resist accidental displacement thereof.

Where my invention is used in a catheter type syringe I preferably provide the syringe barrel with an exterior flange 20 extending circumferentially therearound adjacent the tapered wall section 17. The flange 20 may serve to support the syringe in an irrigation fluid container and thereby minimize air-borne contamination of the assembly.

The exterior surface of the barrel may be provided with suitable graduations indicating the quantity of fluid contained in the barrel. These graduations may be indicated in ounces on one side of the barrel and in cubic centimeters on the opposite side of the barrel.

The bulb 12 should be formed of a suitable, flexible, resilient material inert and impervious to the materials used with the syringe. For this purpose I prefer to employ natural or synthetic rubber or some other elastomeric material, such as an elastomeric plastic and also polyvinyl chloride.

The bulb 12 is formed with a cylindrical portion 22 open at one end and closed at its opposite end by a spherical portion 23.

The marginal area adjacent the open end of the cylindrical portion is of greater thickness than the remainder of the bulb. As previously pointed out the internal diameter of the cylindrical portion of the bulb is slightly less than the external diameter of the exterior surface of the bulb coupling section of the syringe barrel.

The bulb is assembled with the coupling section of the syringe barrel as shown by sliding the open end thereof over the coupling section. Due to the tapered cam surfaces on the outer portion of ribs 19 the bulb can be slid inwardly until the open end thereof abuts against the abutment flange 18 as shown most clearly in FIG. 3. When thus assembled the inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the 'bulb tightly and frictionally engages the exterior surface of the coupling section of the syringe barrel and also has an interference fit with the sharp shoulders on the ribs 19, thus the ribs serve to prevent unintentional or accidental uncoupling of the bulb from the syringe barrel as when the bulb is compressed to express fluid from inside the syringe barrel.

It will be noted that the configuration of the bulb is such that it may be readily formed in a single operation by compression molding in standard type of rubber molding procedures.

The syringe barrel is suitably formed as by injection molding and the bulb is suitably formed as by compression molding. The two parts may then be assembled together as shown. The assembled syringe may then be used in the usual manner of a bulb syringe. Where the syringe is provided with a catheter tip it is particularly suitable for removing liquids as in clean-up jobs during and after operations. It is also useful for irrigation of the bladder through a urethral catheter, irrigation of the stomach through a stomach tube and for irrigation of a dressing. It of course may be used for any of the other purposes that a catheter tip syringe usually performs.

When then provided either with needle or with a catheter tip the syringe also may be used in any place where it is desired to limit the maximum suction applied. It will be appreciated that the maximum suction is determined by the bulb 12.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an improved bulb-type syringe, in which both the syringe barrel and the bulb are of improved construction whereby they can be manufactured in a simple and inexpensive manner and can be readily assembled together so as to be used in the conventional manner of a bulb syringe.

Modifications may be made in the illustrated and described embodiment of my invention without departing from my invention as set forth in the accompanying claim.

I claim:

A disposable bulb-type catheter tip syringe comprising: a syringe barrel formed in one piece of plastic material and having a tubular cylindrical body portion formed at one end with a coaxial reduced tubular tip and at the opposite end with a relatively cylindrical bulb coupling section concentric with the body portion and connected thereto by a tapered wall section, a circumferential flange being formed around the exterior of the tubular body portion of the syringe barrel adjacent the tapered wall section so as to support the syringe in an irrigation fluid container, said coupling section being formed with an exterior surface presenting at least one circumferential rib having a tapered cam like surface facing towards the outer end and a sharp shoulder facing towards the inner end of the bulb coupling section and also being formed with an abutment flange adjacent the tapered wall section; and an enlarged bulb of one-piece resilient material formed with a cylindrical body section open at one end and having a hemispherical portion closing the other end, the inside diameter of said cylindrical portion of the bulb being slightly less than the outside diameter of the exterior surface of the bulb coupling section, the cylindrical portion of the bulb adjacent the open end thereof has a portion thereof of slightly greater thickness than the remainder thereof, and said bulb being applied to the bulb coupling section with the open end in abutting engagement with the abutment flange and with the inner surface in tight frictional engagement with the exterior surface of the bulb coupling section and having an interference fit with the shoulder, said bulb being deformable substantially along the axis of its cylindrical body section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,583,742 5/26 Pearson 128-233 1,728,161 9/29 Lower 128-231 1,991,278 2/35 Heintz et a1. 128-231 2,029,483 2/ 36 Holland 128-231 2,098,106 11/37 Pieck 128-231 2,163,367 6/39 Barnes 128-233 2,698,015 12/54 Brown 128-233 2,913,017 11/59 Robineau 128-233 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,051,645 9/53 France. 1,110,485 10/55 France. 314,771 2/ 34 Italy.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

